MICA film program and general reviews

Mamelot
Fri, 30 Jan 2015 21:37:36 +0000

I don’t know how well MICA’s film program is ranked but I do know a few general things about the school.

My D was just accepted to MICA and I can testify to the little personal touches that go above and beyond our experience with other schools (not that those are bad experiences - but MICA takes it to a new level). The personal notes start right after the first portfolio review and go all the way to at least the acceptance packet. You really feel that they know you well by the time they make a decision on your application. We visited last spring and really enjoyed the campus - it’s worth checking out! A lot of people don’t like Baltimore but after hearing for years about how it’s a dump I was delighted to find that Bolton Hill/Mt. Vernon are fun and seem quite livable. We enjoyed the downtown/Inner Harbor as well. Baltimore is a quirky artsy town filled with lots and lots of students. It has some rough places, to be sure, and I noticed a lot of poverty while there but overall we came away with a very favorable impression of the city, the public transportation system, and the school itself. They give you a wonderful tour of the campus - and the first year dorm is simply the bet one I’ve seen yet - hands down (it’s brand new and apartment style - what more needs to be said on that?).

As a parent, I especially appreciate the prompt, professional and courteous manner in which they get back to me with every question I’ve asked them, from getting advice on which standardized test my D should take to questions about financial aid. A great example: I submitted the MICA financial aid form on December 31 and they personally e-mailed back to confirm it’s receipt (and an addendum I had sent) . . . On Jan. 1! How’s that for service! The school emphasizes professional development of it’s artists and having interacted with the most professional admissions and financial aid office I think I’ll ever encounter at a college - I really do think they take professional development very seriously!!!

For a great perspective of the school be sure to read the book Art Schooled (available on Amazon). The author spent a year at MICA among both MFA and BFA students around the year 2009. I found it to be a great way to understand what goes on at MICA as well as art school in general. I found the sections instructing us on the history of Bauhaus and color theory to be most enjoyable (no, I’m not even remotely artistic). Also the story of the Baltimore Museum of Art and the wonderful Cone collection and it’s relation to MICA.